Pneumatic valve-action.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

$511 62 fitter/uni H. BAINTON. PNEUMATIC VALVE ACTION. nrmoumn i'unn NOV 9, 190'! QWkbwcmco UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

HARRY BAIN f lON, OFINEW YORK, N. Y.

PNEUMATIC. VALVE-ACTION.

Specification of Letters. Patent.

Patented June 9, I908.

Application filed November 9, 1907. Serial No. 401,411.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY BArNToN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New 'York, in the borough of the Bronx, county and State of New York; have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Pneumatic Valve-Actions, of which the following is a specification.

Thls invention relates to an improved pneu Ina-tic valve-action for player-pianos, which valve-action is simple an'd-efiective "in construction, and res onsive to the air which is drawn in throug the perforations of the muslc-sheet and the channels of thetracker,

and the parts of which are conveniently and individually accessible for cleaning and repairing; and for this purpose the invention consists in certain novel features of construction which'will be'fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out. in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a top-view of my improved pneu-j matic valve-action, and Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a vertical transverse section on longitudinal section line 2, 2, and a vertical on line 3, 3, Fig.1.

Similar letters of reference indicate correslponding parts.

. eferring 'to the drawings, 0,- represents the supporting base-plate, b an intermediate block, and c. the top-plate of my improved pneumatic valve action. To the underside of the base-plate a is attached 'a bellows d of the usual construction, the stationary member ofor more, tiers in the casing of t e u'right piano at some distance above the key card 45. 1n the space between the upper front-panel of the piano and the abstracts of the piano-ac:

tions. The intermediate block bis seated on the base-plate and connected therewith in an 7 .air-ti ht manner by an intermediate layer of soft eather," felt or' other material. Each bellows d is connected by an angular channel f with a valve-chamber 9 arranged in the blockfb, which chamber a disk-shaped valve .9. is located. The valve-chamber g is connected with the atmosphere-by an openng-'0 in the top-plate, which opening is pro-- vided with a perforated cross-piece g for uiding the stem 9 of the valve g, while the lower part of the stem passes through an opening in the bottom of the valve-chem berg into proximity to a diaphra m k which extends .over a depression'w of t e suction-.

chest w. The suction-chest w is connected by a pipe to with the power-bellows by which thesuction-action of the suction-chest is sus tained. i

The upper and lower faces of the valve 9 are covered with felt or other cushioning material so as to form an air-tight closurewith the opening 0 in thetop-plate and opening 0 in the bottom of the valve-chamber and forming the connection between the valve-chamber and suction-chest. The 0 ens ing o is'provided with a metallic thim le 1 and rim H on which latter the valve g is seated when in a position of rest; 'Thelowerpart of the valve-stem g? is. rovided with a cylindrical weight g? for 'pro ucing the quick return of the valve ontoits rim or seat 7 when the diaphra m returns to its normal position of rest. lhe space below'the diaphragm it is connected by a short duct '1 with a pipe 2', which passes through the base'- plate a to the outside, being then curved upwardly and connected bye flexible tube 77 with the corresponding channel of the tracker, (not shown) I The diaphragm is provided with a small hole 0 near the circumference of the diaphragm h, said hole 0 facilitating the return of the diaphragm into the depression 'w after it has been cal of the air sucked in through the trackered into action by the pressure 4 channel and connecting-tube, the air in the.

depression belowsaid openingbeing drawn into the suction-chest and permitting the re-:

turn of the diaphragm and valve mto th lower normal position of rest. 7 The operation of'my im roved pneumatic valve-action is as follows: soon as a perforation in the note-sheet passes over the inletopening of-the tracker-channel corresponding to one of the pneumatic valve-actions,

alr-pressure isestablished in the space below the diaphragm, so that the suction of the power-bellows exerted in the suction-chest produces the ui'ck lifting ofthe dia hra'gm,

and valve, so t at-the latter opens t e opening in the bottom of the valve-chamber and closes the opening in the top-plate of the same. i The lifting of the valve opens "the channel f, leading'to the bellows d and prounder the suction exerted by the suction chest and thereby the lifting of the abstract by the heel and bracket, the operation of the piano-action and the sounding of the corres onding string. As soon as the opening in t e music-sheet has passed the inlet-openin of the tracker-channel, the air is cut ofl, an

the diaphragm quickly returned to its osition of rest. For permitting the quic return of the diaphragm and the valve to their normal osition, the opening 0 in the dia phragm t is called into action by the suction of the power-bellowsacting onthe suctionchest and the escape of the air from the space below the diaphragm, and thereby the return of the diaphragm and of the valve into their normal osition' of rest; By the return of the va ve'into its lower osition, the openingvin the bottom of the va ve-chaniber is closed and-thereby the connection between the suction-chest and bellows shut off so that the latter is expanded, The movable member of the bellows, the abstract and the piano-action are thereby returned to their normal position. The return-motion of the diaphragm is accomplished in a steady and reia-blev manner without fluttering, and the' valve returned-to its normal position by the weight ap lied to the lower end of its valvestem, so t at the valve is ready for its next actuation. The valve action functions in a reliable and effective manner and permits by the detaching of the top-plate and intermediate block from the base-plate the easy cleaning of the valve'action and repairing of the arts, if necessary.

aving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a pneumatic valve-action, the combination of a base-plateprovidedwith a de )ression, a diaphragm extendin over sai deression', an intermediate block above the ass-plate cut away to form a suction-chest located over said diaphragm and having a valve-chamber in its upper part communicatlng with sald suction-chest by means of an opening forming a valve-seat, a valve in said valve-chamber coacting with said valveseat, and a top-plate placed over said intermediateblock and closing said valve-cha1nber with the exception of an opening above the valve.

In testimony, thatI claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

.IIARRY BAINTON.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, HENRY J. SUHRBIER. 

